I've been busy planning, sewing and creating to get ready for Eliana's preschool. She turns 4 a month after baby is due. I have updated my curriculum page with what I am planning for her 2011 4K year.

We started this week with Language Lessons for Little Ones 1 ~ it was an impromptu, informal lesson time to see how it would go. I did the lessons orally with her and Malachi together. I loved the picture studies, poetry and discussion. When a letter is introduced, we will practice with sensory letters (which I am working on) rather than writing them. This is easy and gentle, so I may be able to start this now ~ it would be a good review for Malachi and gentle enough for an introduction to phonogram sounds for Eliana.

5K ~

Math:

Malachi finished both the U.S. and Canadian kindergarten levels in Mathletics, and is currently working in the 1st grade level (U.S.). I ordered Singapore Early Bird Math B (textbook and workbook) for him but am debating on saving it for Eliana. Instead, I am thinking about printing the workbook activities that go along with Mathletics since he seems to be doing so well with it. I like that the activities are hands on and relate to what he is learning online. But, I will spend some time looking through Earlybird before I decide.

He also is plugging away on his Kumon 1-120 book. This is not his favorite and will probably be our last Kumon math book {just too much busy work}. To encourage him to finish, I've made a game for him to play.

I bought a new set of Toy Story Bucket o Soldiers (he loves these) and some new dice and he plays "Risk" (remember that game?). He gets one army for every page in the book he completes. He rolls a set of dice and adds them to build each army (the total of the two dice is how many army guys he gets per page). Then he rolls a set of dodacahedral {12 sided} dice - one for each team, and the team with the larger number wins the battle. So he is working on adding and greater than/less than concepts with this game. Some days, he completes 2-3 pages, and other days he completes 8 if he wants a "campaign." He plays Risk with his dad and brothers, so he LOVES this!

Delight Directed:

Malachi has been reading The Usborne Book of Knowledge and bookmarking all the pages he wants me to read to him. His interests are in "How Things Began" {he may be another history buff like his dad} and "How Things Work." I told him we could do this for History and Science and he loved the idea.

He also spends hours each day drawing pictures and making battle scenes. He asks me to spell words for him to title his drawings. Elli follows suit ~ except she draws picture after picture of her and I ~ me with a baby in my belly ~ so sweet! When she brings me a drawing I ask her to tell me about it and I write down what she tells me on the picture.

ETC:

I've put the Explode the Code 1 book on hold for now. He is not reading the lessons from I Can Read It fluently. Each day, we are practicing the words from the Word List book and reading a portion of a story. He can read the words in the Word List just fine, so maybe he just needs some time. 5 is still a bit young for ETC {recommended for 1st grade}. Dylan was a young five when he started it and took a whole year to finish book one. When he turned 6, he finished books 2 and 3 in 2 weeks. But, he was reading all the stories from ICRI and just didn't like to write. hmm. . . Malachi likes to write and could probably do the lessons in ETC. Not sure what to do. Advice would be welcomed.

Older Boys ~

What's New?

Easy Grammar:

We dropped SL 3+4 LA Grammar and picked up Easy Grammar and Daily Grams grades 5 & 6 for Nathan and Dylan and the Ultimate Series for Grade 9 for Jordan. So happy to have a grammar program that is working well for us! We are using EG as a supplement to Queen's Language Lessons.

Nutrition 101: Finished Unit 3 and started Unit 4 ~ The Skeletal and Muscular System

I watched a webinar with Paul Nison and WellWithU last night called "What Nobody Tells You About Raw Food" and am considering "Lessons for Healthy Living" as a sequel to Nutrition 101. If you have listened to/watched this series, I'd love to know what you think.

CPR & First Aid: Jordan and Luke earned their certification in both classes this week. Jordan said I wouldn't have liked the first aid class. Most of what they learned was how to treat a victim until help arrives. My focus in our survival studies has been how to treat a victim when no help is available {survival first aid}. But, he did learn some helpful first responder type first aid. I was also surprised how much CPR training has changed since I was last certified (my 2 year certification expires in 2 months). They are moving away from giving breaths and only doing chest compressions ~ except, of course, for family members. I used to carry a protective face mask in our first aid kit (and there may still be one in there), but most people don't carry them because they are expensive.

Sports Programming: Luke and Jordan's team won the soccer championship {adult soccer}. Soccer is now over! {officially} They still play an occasional noon-ball, though. Jordan logged 40 work hours this month.

In the Scriptures: Nathan finished reading through the Bible {The Scriptures version} in 105 days! So proud of him for sticking it out! We have a special date planned.

On the Homestead: Luke and the boys are firewood maniacs. They cut and split 3 cords of wood for our use, and gifted 2 cords. (I stayed home with Eliana).

Baby on the way: I am 31+ weeks {less than 9 weeks to go!} and I have been asked a few times to share more about my pregnancy, birthing plans for baby, how I will manage cooking, school, and life when baby #6 arrives. . . I'm thinking on this one. Some of these I have answers for and I will be thinking and praying about answers to the rest and how best to share. I am planning a Homebirth 101 crash course for my boys over the next 6 weeks, so maybe I will share what we are learning. If you have specific questions, please let me know.